Together with Irina, a teacher from Balashikha near Moscow, we will visit Grodno, in the very west of Belarus. This city is not like other Belarusian cities. The proximity of Poland and Lithuania left its mark on it. The magazine Dorogi-ne-dorogi.ru tells what a tourist should do in Grodno and why it’s worth going there at all.
I went to Grodno alone and in my own car. I like to plan trips on my own, so here I did everything myself from the very beginning. In this article I will share my experience with you.
Why did I go to Grodno
My work colleague often mentioned this city in conversations and always used only kind words and superlatives. I decided to make sure that it really was as wonderful and interesting as he said. The name of the city also caught my attention, I don’t know why.
I planned the trip for my next vacation. It was November last year. I was surprisingly lucky with the weather, and I spent five days of real golden autumn in Grodno. It took another two days to travel there and back.
I went on a trip alone. This was the first trip alone, and even while driving.
Road to Grodno
Belarusian roads / photo by the author I
traveled to Grodno with an overnight stay in Minsk, since covering almost 1000 km alone is not very easy.
The quality of roads in Belarus is higher than ours. Permitted speed is 120-130 km per hour. But for violations the fines are brutal. We had to pay 2,000 of our rubles on the way back, before crossing the border.
Belarus has its own currency. At the time of the trip, the exchange rate was as follows: 1 Belarusian ruble = 31 Russian rubles with kopecks. There were no problems with banks and exchangers.
How to get there?
Unfortunately, trains mainly pass through another border regional center - Brest, so the choice of trains to Grodno is small. For example, there is a train “Vitebsk – Grodno”, which passes through Orsha twice a day – at night and in the evening. But you can get to Orsha at night only on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (we don’t take personal transport), and on other days there is only one option.
But here, too, not everything is so simple. Will you be ready to arrive in Grodno at 5:24 am ? There is an option to rent a room in a hostel or hotel from this early time. In this case, a one-way trip will cost you from 15 to 20 rubles.
If you go through Minsk, then minibuses leave from the capital every 1-1.5 or trains, the last of which leaves at 19:12 (this is one of those that arrive on the same day). One of these will cost you from 7 to 18 rubles , but you also need to get to Minsk itself! So with this option you will spend at least 17 rubles on travel.
Where did I live
I found the accommodation on Booking.com. It was a separate apartment in the very center of the city. I don’t like hotels and hostels, they are full of tourists and bustle.
I stopped on Stefan Batory Street, next to the Farny Church. The hostess met me at the entrance, showed everything and was surprised that I chose Grodno for vacation, and not some Turkish beach. I gave away the keys. I didn’t see her again until the day I left.
The apartment turned out to be clean, comfortable, with wi-fi, and all the main attractions were within walking distance. Accommodation for five days cost $120 (paid in Russian rubles).
How are we going back?
Believe it or not, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays you can travel from Grodno to Gorki by the Grodno-Vitebsk train. He has trailer cars to Krichev. One ticket in this one will cost from 10 to almost 22 rubles , and you will travel for 10 hours. But you will arrive at 21:54 and take the last public transport to get home.
On other days, the last train from Orsha to Gorki is at 18:28 , and you will have to get to Orsha through Minsk. You need to leave the capital at 15:30 , and from Grodno (if on a train) - at 6:37 in the morning . It’s really better to take a minibus here. But it’s better to book it in advance, because the flight is too popular (probably due to the small number of trains). Either a train from Grodno to Minsk or a minibus will cost you about the same money ( 16-17 rubles ), and the total cost of all tickets is about 26-27 rubles .
Cafes and restaurants in Grodno
In one of the Grodno restaurants / photo by the author
When you live in a separate apartment, you have the opportunity to cook on your own. The kitchen was equipped with everything necessary. I mostly cooked breakfasts and dinners, and usually had lunch in the city.
Belarus has amazing dairy products, sausages, and all other products too. Therefore, you should definitely try local cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir or yoghurt for breakfast. The store on the ground floor of the house where I lived always had fresh and tasty products.
During the trip I visited several cafes and restaurants:
- Lamb,
- Neman,
- Royal hunt,
- Garadzen coffee shop,
- Just coffee.
I’ll share the secret of saving: in any restaurant in Grodno from 12:00 to 15:00/16:00 there are set lunches. Their prices are lower than the main menu.
Lunch cost me, on average, 5-10 Belarusian rubles (depending on the restaurant).
the Royal Hunt restaurant Chic, truly royal interior and menu with dishes of Belarusian cuisine. I recommend trying potato pancakes with cheese and lightly salted salmon, pheasant julienne and pancakes.
I also liked the “Garadzenskaya Kavarnya” (Grodno coffee shop). Atmospheric place next to the Farny Church, excellent coffee and desserts. You can sit with a book or just look out the window, watching the life of the city.
Lida Castle
If you suddenly have an extra day, you can see another castle - Lida Castle.
The most convenient way to get to Lida is by minibus. It will cost 9 rubles and you need to travel 1.5 hours to the bus station. From here to the castle is less than a kilometer.
Entry cost: 9 rubles for adults, 7 for students, 5 for schoolchildren. Opening hours: every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lida Castle is the only functioning castle-castel in Belarus. It was erected in 1323 by order of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas . In 1387, the Polish king and Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila took an oath in the castle from his brother Skirgaila , the Prince of Polotsk, in 1422 the marriage of King Jogaila with 17-year-old Sofia Golshanskaya the castle, in July 1506 he took communion within the walls of the castle and signed a will to death the sick King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania.
The walls of the castle withstood attacks from the crusaders and soldiers of the Moscow principality; the Swedes blew up the towers. The castle almost completely collapsed in the summer of 1794: in its ruins the rebels of Tadeusz Kościuszko fought with the tsarist troops.
After the fire of 1891, without any discussion, they began to break down the castle walls and put bricks and stones for sale. Rumors about the dismantling of the castle reached the Imperial Archaeological Commission. She saved the castle.
It was completely restored in 2010, but, according to the author, the modern restoration is too much of a mess.
9 rubles for exhibitions in two towers.
Valeria Prigarina, photo by the author
What to see in Grodno
Farny Church in Grodno / photo by the author
Farny Church is a must-visit place in Grodno. It is also called the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier. It's impossible to pass by. The cathedral is monumental and beautiful. The live organ and chanting kept me coming back every day.
Church of St. John / photo by the author
Church of St. John (Lutheran Church). It is better to plan your visit so that you can attend an organ music concert. The time can be viewed on the website.
Parc Gilibert is good for walking. Hundreds of plant species, benches, bridges, paths, beautiful views - everything is in place and done with taste. The park is associated with the name of a French doctor who lived in Grodno and created this park. Nearby is the Lyalek Theater (puppet theater), there are attractions.
Kolozhsky Park and Friendship Square. 35 trees were planted there as a sign of friendship between the peoples living in Belarus. Every two years the Festival of National Cultures is held in Grodno. I planned to come to the city again in the summer, but due to the pandemic, the festival was postponed. Usually all major events are held in this park.
Boris and Gleb Church / photo by the author
Boris and Gleb Church (Kolozha) of the 11th century is the main value of Kolozha. It is located on the high bank of the Neman River. The view from there is dizzying. And I have never experienced such peace and cloudless happiness on any of my trips.
By the way, about the Neman itself. From the opposite bank of the river there is also a magnificent view of the entire historical center. And the observation deck was given to city residents for one of the holidays. In general, there are many such cute little things in Grodno that create the atmosphere. Just look at the trash cans in the shape of dogs or men's vests with bows.
The Great Choral Synagogue - you can’t help but notice it when leaving Kolozhsky Park. I went to the museum, where they allowed me to see all the exhibits for free and told me about the ghetto that was here during the Nazi occupation. The synagogue was located in the very center of the ghetto.
Sovetskaya street / photo by Alena Patrikeeva
Pedestrian street Sovetskaya is one of the oldest in the historical center, an analogue of Moscow Arbat. It is replete with street vendors and musicians, catering establishments and shops. Stop by the Raskosha coffee shop and pastry shop , opened in 1795. Try their cakes and pastries.
This time I didn’t get to the Old and New castles on the banks of the Neman River. There was reconstruction there. I left it until my next trip.
In general, the whole of Grodno is one big attraction that cannot be seen in one trip.
Great Choral Synagogue
One of the largest synagogues in Europe! The street where it stands was once the center of Jewish life in the city.
The first synagogue appeared here in 1580 and was made of wood. In 1617 it burned down. The new building was destroyed by fire in 1899. It acquired its modern appearance in 1905. It was closed in 1940, and during the Second World War Jews were gathered there before execution. After the war, there were warehouses and workshops there, and the building was returned to the Jewish community only in 1991.
The synagogue is operational and houses a Jewish museum. The building is a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
Impression
Grodno, view of the old castle / photo by Alena Patrikeeva
One of the most vivid impressions of a trip to Grodno was the Farny Church.
I have a comical incident connected with the church. One evening I went to the service to once again listen to the organ, and was so carried away by the music and chants that I did not notice how the church was half empty. Heading towards the exit, I discovered that the door was locked. It was awkward to distract the worshipers, and it was unclear what to do. A few minutes later a couple of tourists joined me with the same problem. The man found a church minister somewhere, and we were let out through the courtyard, which turned out to be very nice and looked like something out of a Christmas card.
The most pleasant case is meeting a local resident, a native Muscovite, a historian by training. She moved from Moscow to Grodno and happily told me about every building we passed during our many-hour walks. Thanks to her, I learned a lot of historical, cultural and everyday details from the life of Grodno, including modern life. I also took home a trunk full of purchases, starting with sausage and ending with Belarusian shoes (both of excellent quality).
